


Just Confess (GraTsu)

by aMaskedNinja



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Gratsu - Freeform, M/M, MalexMale, Violence, Yaoi, grayxnatsu - Freeform, mature language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:48:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25621651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aMaskedNinja/pseuds/aMaskedNinja
Summary: The past couple of nights, Natsu has been having dreams about a certain person. Dreams he can't explain. The certain person? His rival and best friend.Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters I may use.Triggers: Male x Male (Yaoi), Mature Language and Themes, Possible fighting and Character Injury
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Comments: 17
Kudos: 96





	1. One

It had started out as a normal day at the Fairy Tail Guildhall. A pink haired fire mage let out a loud yawn as he slouched forward, resting his head against the table beneath him. He hadn’t gotten much sleep the past couple of nights because he had been having dreams he couldn’t explain. They were irritating the crap out of him, mostly because he had no idea why he would be dreaming about this particular person. It made absolutely no sense to him. 

Luckily, the guild wasn’t as loud as it normally was. Maybe it was because a lot of the guild members were still out on jobs or maybe it was just because it was still rather early in the morning and a lot of them hadn’t shown up yet. Either way, Natsu decided to enjoy the peace while he could. Normally he’d be among one of the louder ones, but with such little sleep, he couldn’t even bring himself to try to pick a fight with anyone. 

“Natsu!” A high pitch voice suddenly called out. The fire mage groaned slightly. He recognized the voice with ease and didn’t even bother to lift his head. 

“Happy...could you be a bit quieter? I’m not awake yet…” Natsu managed to roll his head so that he was now looking at his furry companion. Happy was a blue cat who could also fly. He watched as Happy landed himself on the table with a rather concerned expression on his little face.

“What the heck, Natsu!? You’re never like this. What’s wrong?” Happy asked. A little pout appeared on the cat’s face as he walked up to Natsu and placed a tiny paw on his forehead.

“What are you doing?” Natsu asked. He sounded slightly annoyed, but Happy didn’t seem to notice. 

“I’m just seeing if you’re sick or something, but you feel perfectly normal to me.” Happy responded before removing his paw from the fire mage’s head. Natsu’s body was always much warmer than anyone else’s since he was a Fire Dragon Slayer. His fire magic always kept his body extra warm.

“Happy, I’m not sick. I just haven’t been sleeping well the past couple nights. It’s nothing serious.” Natsu responded. He finally found the strength to lift his head off the table, only to rest it against one of his hands. 

“You better try to wake up before Erza gets here and sees you like this. She’ll instantly think something is wrong and then she’ll do what she can to get it out of you.” Happy warned before he hopped into the air and flew off toward the bar. 

Natsu huffed softly once his furry friend left him alone. He knew Happy was right. If he didn’t straighten himself up before seeing Erza, he’d end up having to tell her what was bothering him, and he wanted to avoid that for now. He still had to figure out what was going on himself. He had to figure out why these dreams just now started to come to him.   
“Damn…” He growled out lowly. It was beyond irritating. It actually pissed him off more than anything. Did these damn dreams mean something? “Why do they have to be about him of all people?” He asked himself. 

Shaking his head, the pink haired male stood himself up and started to make his way toward the doors of the guildhall. He wanted to get some fresh air and try to clear his mind. However, it seemed that life had different plans for him. 

Right as Natsu was about to open the doors, they suddenly flew open with a loud bang. The fire mage jumped back quickly and groaned when he saw the person on the other side. 

‘Damn...she’s already here…’ Natsu thought to himself. 

Erza stood on the other side of the door. She was wearing her usual outfit and her long red hair was lightly flowing in the breeze. Her eyes were looking directly at Natsu. She only stared at him for a few moments before she lifted her arm and pointed a finger at him. 

“Something’s wrong.” Her tone was a bit on the stern side, but her facial expression was completely normal. “Natsu, are you going to tell me why you look so exhausted?” She asked while lowering her arm.

“Nothing’s wrong! I just didn’t get a lot of sleep. It’s nothing to worry about.” Natsu replied almost too quickly. Erza didn’t look convinced in the slightest. The small amount of guild members who were currently in the building were all suddenly looking directly at the two of them. Damn, Natsu did not need them all looking over here like this. 

“Natsu, you’re terrible at lying. Don’t try to hide things from me, because you know you can’t.” Erza took a step toward the fire mage, only for him to step back slightly. He had to get away from her for now. He didn’t want to talk at all. He just wanted to clear his head. He had to take a chance and get around her. 

“Look...Erza I don’t really want to talk about anything right now. Can’t we just discuss this later?” Natsu asked. Honestly, discussing anything at all wasn’t something he wanted to do, but he wanted to leave now. He knew he wouldn’t be able to escape from her if he tried to run. 

“Alright Natsu. I’ll come by your place later this evening. Do not try to ditch out either. You know I’ll find you.” She gave him a bit of a smile and once again approached him. Once she was directly in front of her friend, she reached out and gave his head a light pat. “Go on now.”

A sigh of relief escaped from Natsu. He may not have gotten out of talking about it all together, but at least for now, he was going to be able to take a walk like he wanted. As soon as Erza took her hand away from his head, Natsu gave her his own usual smile before he hurried out of the guild hall.

‘I just hope I don’t run into him right now…’


	2. Two

Now that he was finally out of the guildhall, Natsu could put all his focus into trying to clear his head. Since it was still rather early, the streets of Magnolia weren’t too crowded yet. There were a few shops open at this time, but the rest of the town wouldn’t be lively for at least another hour. If Natsu were to be honest, he was glad it was still rather quiet outside. Taking in a small breath, the fire mage lifted his head to look up at the clear sky. It was beautiful out this morning especially with the soft breeze that often ruffled his hair and clothing. 

The pink haired male continued to walk along the streets, his hands resting in his pockets and his gaze still completely focused on the sky. He actually felt at ease for once, but he was still rather tired. He wanted to go back home and take a nap, but he worried that the same dream would intrude on his sleep again. How on earth was he going to explain this to Erza? He couldn’t back out of it now, she’d probably smack him if he tried. 

Natsu had been so distracted by the dream and the fact that he had to talk to Erza, he had completely forgotten that he was walking until he suddenly crashed right into someone. The impact was hard enough to knock Natsu onto his backside, causing him to help in surprise. After shaking his head, he growled a bit and glared toward the person he had run into. Right as he was about to open his mouth to start yelling, he paused. 

‘Damn… Not him of all people…’ Natsu found himself staring up at a male with dark blue hair that almost looked black and eyes that matched. He was dressed in a blue t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. One hand was resting in his front pocket while the other hung at his side. Obviously, he looked rather annoyed at the fact that Natsu had carelessly ran smack into him. 

“Hey! Watch where you’re going, Dragon Boy!” Gray shouted out. He removed his hand from his pocket to cross his arms over his chest. Natsu was going to avoid yelling, but he couldn’t stop himself. This is what always happened when the two of them clashed. The fire mage quickly got to his feet and placed his hands on his hips.

“Maybe you should watch where you’re going, you icy freak!” Natsu shouted back. 

Gray’s eye twitched slightly as he glared toward Natsu. Something seemed a bit off. Before he could say something, he felt something smack against his forehead. Of course it was Natsu, using his own forehead. 

“Do you really wanna go this early in the morning?” Gray asked as he pressed back against the pink haired male’s forehead. 

“I could throw a few punches at you even if it is really early. Maybe it will teach you to watch where you walk!” Natsu growled slightly, his right hand was clenched into a fist. Was he really awake enough to fight with Gray? He didn’t know, but he knew there was no way he was going to back down.   
“I swear, you’re so damn annoying!” Gray glared a bit harder. His own fist was pulled back, but before he could throw it forward, he noticed something about Natsu. There seemed to be dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t been sleeping right. “Hold up. You look like you’re half dead. It wouldn’t be fair to fight you if you’re about to pass out. It would be an easy win.” 

Those words made Natsu’s blood boil even more than it already was. It was as if Gray were mocking him or something. He hated that. The fire mage quickly moved himself back from the male in front of him. Fire suddenly engulfed his right hand. He was going to make Gray pay for saying such things. 

“I’ll teach you to underestimate me, snowflake!” Natsu shouted out. He then charged toward the ice mage. His fist was still pulled back, but he was ready to punch his rival into next week. However, right as Natsu threw his fist forward, the fire suddenly went out and he ended up stumbling. 

Gray reacted quickly. One of his hands came out and caught Natsu’s bare fist while the other hand came out to grab the dragon slayer by the shoulder to keep him from face planting. Something was definitely off about Natsu. Gray had never seen the other stumble like that before. Not only that, but Natsu’s fire had also gone out.

“See? You’re completely drained, which is unusual for you. You’re in no condition to even try to pick a fight with me so stop trying to act all tough for once.” Gray’s tone was rather stern, and his facial expression matched perfectly. 

“I’m fine… I’m not that tired and I can still pick a fight with the likes of you…” Natsu panted slightly. He really was exhausted but he didn’t want to show such weakness in front of Gray of all people. Gray on the other hand, wasn’t having any of it. 

“Go home and go back to bed. If you honestly want to fight with me still, we can do so once you’ve actually taken a nap. Like I said, it wouldn’t be any fun if you just ended up passing out or something.” The ice mage then released the pink haired male’s fist and made the other stand up straight once again. 

Natsu wanted to argue badly, but as much as he hated to admit it, Gray was right. He couldn’t fight while he was so tired. It wouldn’t be any fun and he would lose way too easily. He brought his face up to meet Gray’s so the other could see him nod slightly.

“Yeah fine… We’ll fight later, but don’t you dare forget.” Natsu tried to sound as serious as possible, but he ended up yawning right after he spoke. 

“Chill out for once. I’m not going to forget. Now, go the hell home and sleep. You look freaky like that.” Gray chuckled slightly and walked around the exhausted dragon slayer. 

Once Natsu was alone, he felt his face heat up slightly. Was he blushing? Why the hell would he be blushing!? He quickly slapped his cheeks and hurried off toward his home. He had to get Gray out of his head...but that was slowly becoming harder as time passed on. Maybe Erza would be able to help him figure this out, even though he still didn’t want to talk to her about it. 

“She may be the only one with the answers…” Natsu muttered to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hello to all the readers! I'm glad to be posting chapter two! I'm still not too confident on how I'm writing the characters but I'm trying my best and I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! I'm having a lot of fun writing it! I'm not sure when I'll update again though. Hopefully soon! I'll see you guys in the next chapter! Thank you for reading!
> 
> ~~aMaskedNinja))


	3. Three

Natsu had gotten back home in record time. After unlocking his door and hurrying inside, he slammed the door behind himself and flopped down on his tan colored couch. Before he got completely comfortable, he looked up to make sure he had left a window open for Happy. After confirming he had, Natsu rolled onto his side and tucked his arm under his head to use it as a pillow. Sure he had a bedroom, but he felt as if he couldn’t go any further. Plus his couch was actually pretty comfortable so there was no point to move. 

A yawn escaped the fire mage. He hoped that he would be able to nap peacefully before Erza showed up. Things would be fine if no pesky dreams bothered him this time around. After lying on his side for several minutes, Natsu’s eyes finally started to close. Sleep was finally taking over, but unfortunately it wouldn’t be dreamless. As soon as the pink haired male passed out, the same dream started up once again. 

~~  
Natsu was just at the guildhall, staring at the request board. He was trying to decide which job to take so he could get some jewels in his pocket. Unfortunately, Natsu wasn’t the best at making any kind of decisions. With an irritated sigh, he turned away from the board and started walking toward the doors of the guild hall, not knowing that he was actually being followed. 

The fire mage seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as he now wandered through the streets of Magnolia. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were focused on the ground. He had to take a job soon since he was practically broke once again. He closed his eyes and groaned quietly. 

“Oi! Flame Brain! I’ve been hollering at you since you left the guild hall! Pay attention!” A voice suddenly called out. Natsu stopped instantly. He knew that voice and that nickname all too well. He turned quickly, only to come face to face with a shirtless Gray. 

“The hell do you want, Snowflake?” Natsu sounded irritated, but he was actually relieved to see his rival. “And where the hell is your shirt?”

“Eh!?” Gray blinked. He always seemed to be surprised whenever he suddenly lost some of his clothes, and honestly Natsu didn’t understand why. It happened so often, Gray should be used to people telling him he was half naked. 

“Seriously? Man, you’re such an idiot…” Natsu muttered out. That comment got him a small smack on the back of the head. 

“Oh shut up, you ditz. Anyways. I wanted to talk to you. Come on.” Gray shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and started walking once again. Natsu followed along, rubbing the back of his head where he had been smacked.   
They walked in silence. Natsu found himself often staring at Gray’s bare upper body, which was unusual for him. He never stared at Gray like this. What was going on with him? His cheeks were even turning slightly red. The thought of actually touching Gray’s bare chest crossed his mind, but Natsu quickly shook his head. That was so not something to be thinking about. 

“Where the hell are you taking me, icy boy?” Natsu asked after several minutes. He didn’t know how much longer he could go like this. He kept thinking more and more about touching the ice mage and he didn’t like it at all.

“Calm down. We’re already here.” Gray replied. When Natsu glanced around, he found that they were actually standing in front of Gray’s small home. Natsu instantly felt nervous, which didn’t happen very often. 

“Um...Why did you bring me here?” Natsu asked. He tried to keep his normal tone, but it was obvious that he was a bit worried. 

Gray simply smiled and reached out to his door. He swiftly turned the handle and made his way inside. Once inside, he stopped and waited for Natsu to follow him so he could close the door. Of course the fire mage hesitated. Gray hadn’t answered his question at all. He was tempted to run off, but that would show him as a coward and he didn’t want that. He finally walked forward and entered Gray’s home. Of course it was a bit on the cold side, but it didn’t bother Natsu too much. 

“You look a bit nervous.” Gray commented as he shut the door and walked over to his white colored couch. He sat down almost instantly, one leg crossed over the other. His arms were stretched out along the back of the couch and his head was tilted back toward the ceiling. “Come sit down.” 

Come sit? Beside Gray? In his home? What the hell was going on here? Natsu couldn’t wrap his head around any of this. His friend seemed to be acting a bit off, but at the same time his attitude was perfectly normal. He was so bothered by all this. 

Sighing slightly, Natsu eventually came over and sat himself down on the couch as well, but he left quite a bit of space between him and Gray. His own gaze was focused on his feet. He couldn’t bring himself to look toward the other. His stomach felt like it was flipping in all different directions. He couldn’t understand why he was so nervous about all this. 

“Natsu.” Gray’s voice once again snapped the fire mage out of his thoughts. When he looked up, he almost wished he hadn’t. He hadn’t even felt Gray move at all, but they were practically face to face. Natsu’s face turned even redder. He went to jump off the couch, but a cold hand closed around his wrist.

“Gray...What’s gotten into you? You’re definitely acting odd…” Natsu muttered out. He shifted his eyes to the side so he didn’t have to keep eye contact with his friend. It was making him even more nervous.   
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile, but I’ve never gotten you by yourself like this. So just close your eyes and bare with me.” Gray’s tone was low, yet serious. It made Natsu shudder slightly. 

He was about to ask what the ice mage was talking about but before he could, Gray’s other icy hand caught his chin and held it firmly. Natsu had no time to react before a pair of cold lips pressed against his warm ones. 

~~  
Natsu bolted up into a sitting position. He was panting hard, almost as if he had woken up from a nightmare. He rested a hand on his forehead, a shaky sigh escaping from him. That same dream kept coming at him. This was at least the third time he had it. It just ended differently each time. The first time, Natsu had been pinned against a wall, the second time, his neck and shoulders had been kissed on, and now this time, it had ended with an actual kiss. This dream was driving Natsu completely insane.

“Damn it… What the hell does it mean!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hi everyone! Chapter three is finally done! Honestly, I'm glad I was able to update so soon! Sorry that dream wasn't very spicy. That must be saved for later on! Not sure when, but later on! Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the update and I hope to post the next chapter again soon! See you all next time and thank you for reading!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	4. Four

Not even ten minutes later, there was a knock at Natsu’s front door. He practically jumped off the couch, his eyes growing slightly wide as he stared toward his door. He didn’t even know what time it was or how long he had been asleep. The knock came again, much louder this time, followed by a voice that relieved Natsu, but also terrified him. 

“If you make me knock again, I’ll assume you’re trying to avoid the conversation and I’ll force my way in.” The voice belonged to Erza. Sure she scared Natsu to death sometimes, but he’d rather it be her than Gray. Sighing with relief, Natsu made his way over to his door and opened it slightly.

“Sorry, Erza… I was trying to get a little more sleep.” Natsu rubbed his eyes a bit and gave the red head an apologetic smile.

“You look a little better than you did earlier if that’s the case.” Erza simply shook her head. Natsu had always been a bit of an airhead, but she had never seen him act the way he had been. “Ready to talk?”

“Not really, but come in…” The fire mage opened the door the rest of the way, allowing his friend to make her way inside. The door closed a few minutes later and the two of them settled down on the couch. “Say...what time is it anyways?” He asked.

“Hm? Oh it’s about three in the afternoon now. Why?” Erza crossed one leg over the other and folded her hands on her lap.

“Three in the afternoon!?” Natsu was surprised that it was so late. He didn’t think he had taken such a long nap. It sure as heck didn’t feel like it anyways. “I guess I slept longer than I thought… Right before you got here, I had just woken up…” 

“Hmm…” Erza watched her friend carefully. Now that she had a good view of his face, she would say he looked as if he had woken up from a nightmare or something. “Natsu, why have you been so tired lately? That’s rather unusual for you.” 

The pink haired male cringed slightly. He didn’t know how to explain it to her. Where should he even start? Should he just mention the dreams and when they started occurring? That would probably be the best place to start, but where would he go after that? His head was starting to hurt him now. It was bad for him to overthink like this. Erza must have noticed because he suddenly felt her hand on his shoulder. He flinched at the sudden touch, but didn’t make a move to get away. He knew she wasn’t a threat or anything. 

“Natsu...stop overthinking it. You know what that does to you.” Her tone was rather stern, but it got Natsu to settle himself down. “I am your friend. You can tell me what’s been going on with you.” 

“I know that Erza… I’m just trying to figure out the best way to start. This entire situation is weird to me and I don’t know how to take it.” Natsu replied. He needed to just come out with it, but it was rather embarrassing. After several more minutes, the fire mage finally sighed and turned himself so that he was facing his friend.

“For the past few nights...I’ve been having odd dreams that I can’t really explain. I don’t understand them at all or why they just recently started happening, but they’ve been preventing me from getting much sleep. They’re not nightmares...they’re about a certain person and I don’t know why I’m suddenly dreaming about them.” Natsu explained everything while avoiding eye contact with Erza. Sure he was facing her, but his eyes kept wandering around different parts of his home. 

“Who exactly are you dreaming about Natsu? Don’t beat around the bush either. If you don’t tell me, how can I even try to help you?” Erza sounded slightly irritated, but that was because she really hated to be kept waiting, plus she could easily see how troubled Natsu was about this.

“...They’re about…” Natsu hesitated. He felt his anxiety starting to rise again. What if Erza thought he was weird or something after he told her? No, she wouldn’t think that, right? She was here for a reason after all. He knew she wouldn’t go off and tell anyone either so he shouldn’t be having this much of an issue with just coming out with it.

“Natsu! For goodness sake, just tell me already. Or do I have to go get Gray and have him interrogate you as well!?” Erza was serious now. Hearing that name mentioned caused Natsu to blush like crazy. He already ran into Gray earlier today and it was so awkward for him. He didn’t want to see Gray again, not so soon.

“No! Don’t go get him!” Natsu’s words came out a little too quickly. When he realized, he quickly covered his mouth and looked away from the red head beside him. His face was burning like crazy. That sudden outburst surely blew it now.

“Natsu, why don’t you….Oh.” Erza had started to ask the fire mage why he had no interest in seeing his rival, but that was when it finally hit her. There was no way...was there? She quickly reached out and grasped onto the dragon slayer’s shoulders, causing him to yelp in surprise. When he looked back at her, he could have sworn her eyes were staring into his soul.

“Have you been having dreams about Gray?” She asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.  
Damn, damn, damn! That outburst had caused her to figure it out. Why wouldn’t it? He had freaked out so quickly and even started blushing at the very thought of seeing Gray. Even hearing his name caused his stomach to get all weird. He quickly turned his eyes away from Erza, not answering her question. That should have been enough of an answer anyways. It should have been obvious now.

“I demand to know exactly what goes on in these dreams. We’ll go from there. Now start talking.” Erza kept her stern tone to show that she was serious. She didn’t plan on leaving until she knew everything.   
“Well um...Where do I start…?” Could he honestly describe this to her? He didn’t know, but he knew he had no choice but to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((I did not forget about this story! I just lost motivation for a bit, but I've got it back now! For now anyways! I've switched up my work schedule, so hopefully I'll have more time to work on fanfics and maybe I won't be so depressed about everything. ^^" Anyways, so sorry this took so long to do! Hopefully it was worth the wait. I hope I'm keeping them in character because I'm still uneasy about them, but I am enjoying writing this! Anyways, thank you so much for reading! I'll hopefully update again soon! See you next time!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	5. Five

“Start wherever you feel most comfortable. You don’t have to give me every little detail. Just give me enough to go off of.” Erza had a feeling she already knew every detail, but she decided not to jump to conclusions until the fire mage finished talking.

“So far...they’ve all been about the same… I start out in the guildhall, trying to find a job or something and when I can’t find anything, I end up getting frustrated and leaving. After leaving, I hear someone calling me ‘Flame Brain’, and of course only one person really calls me that. When I turn, I see Gray coming toward me, shirtless. That’s nothing new.” Natsu sighed. Remembering the dream was causing him to feel queasy. They all start the same, but the ending is usually in different locations. “Then he tells me that he needs to talk to me, so I follow him to wherever he wants to go. The locations are usually different, but the one I just had, we went to his house. He was acting really odd in the dream too.”

“Odd? In what way?” Erza was listening carefully. She could tell this was making Natsu a bit uncomfortable, but it had to be done. 

“Just… I don’t know… Sneaky, secretive, awkward, and even a bit more quiet than usual. Granted...what happens next explains everything and this is why I’m so confused too. It doesn’t matter where we go in the dream, it all ends the same way. He starts saying all these strange things, like he’s got something to tell me, or there’s something he’s wanted to do for awhile and it makes me so nervous, I look away from him…” Natsu paused. His cheeks were heating up once again as he thought of what happened at the end of each dream. 

“And then what happens…?” Erza moved closer to her friend. Her curiosity was killing her now, she could hardly contain herself.

“He...suddenly gets a hard grip on my chin, so that I look at him once again...and when I do, he….he kisses me...and then I wake up…” Natsu had to force himself to finish telling the story. He was burning with embarrassment, but everything was out now. It had taken him awhile, but he managed to tell Erza everything. He just hoped that she had an answer for him now. 

“Huh...I must say, I was honestly expecting something a little more….spicy. But it seems your dreams aren’t there yet if that’s where you keep waking up.” Erza spoke so calmly, but what she had said made Natsu scream on the inside.

“Erza! Do you have an idea of why I’ve been having these dreams or did you just want some weird fantasy you can tease me about!?” Natsu was desperate now. He clenched his fists tightly as he looked toward his knees. He was confused and didn’t know what to do. “Please tell me what you think it means…”

“Natsu.” Erza sighed, shaking her head slightly. She had no idea why Natsu didn’t understand what these dreams meant. It was so painfully obvious. Then again, this was Natsu. If he were to think about anything too much, his head would start to hurt. “Do you really not understand what these dreams mean?” She asked.

“No! I have no idea! And if you know something, then please tell me because I’m about to lose my damn mind thinking about it!” Natsu was clearly stressed out about this entire situation. Erza let out a small sigh and looked her friend directly in the eyes.

“Natsu. Think about it carefully. You’ve just recently started having these dreams, but I think these feelings have been developing for a very long time, at least on your end. You two are always together. You’re either picking fights or defending each other. If someone insults one of you, the other instantly smashes them down. You two have a special bond, but I think you’re both too stupid to realize it. Your head must finally be trying to tell you exactly how you feel.” Erza shook her head slightly, giving her friend’s shoulder another squeeze.

“I don’t know what all of that has to do with these dreams Erza. Sure, Gray and I have a special bond and we look out for each other, but isn’t that what friends are supposed to do for each other?” Natsu tilted his head to the side slightly. That's what friends were supposed to do right? So what did that have to do with these stupid dreams? 

“You’re such an idiot if you can’t figure this out Natsu, so I’m going to tell you and then you’ll understand why you’re an idiot.” Erza removed her hands from her friend’s shoulders, only to cross her arms over her chest. She kept her eyes on Natsu to ensure that he was paying close attention to what she was about to say. 

“Just spit it out already, please! I can’t take it anymore!” Natsu moved his own hands to his pink locks, only to tightly grip them in his hands. He wished she would just hurry up, but then again, he had taken his sweet time with telling her about the dreams, so this was only fair. Still, he didn’t like the fact that he didn’t understand what was happening.

“Natsu… You’re having these dreams because of one very simple reason. You’ve begun to develop feelings for Gray.” Erza said simply. Hopefully he understood that.

“What? Develop feelings for Gray? We’re friends right? Is that the kind of feeling you mean?” Natsu slowly released his hair, giving Erza a curious look. If that was all it was, then why did they end up kissing in the dream?

“God dammit, Natsu. Let me say this slowly. You’re. In. Love. With. Gray.” She made sure to space out each word and she said it slowly so Natsu could process it. 

Silence fell over the two of them. What did Erza just say? He was in love with Gray? … That was completely impossible! That couldn’t be right. He didn’t think about Gray that way at all! He was about to start denying it, until he was interrupted by his thoughts again. He remembered how he felt when he had encountered Gray earlier. He definitely felt different, but he thought it was just because he was tired. The dreams also made sense though...why else would they end up kissing? That was something you only did with someone you...oh. 

“I… I’m in love with him…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hi everyone! Sorry for no updates over the past few days. I've been really really tired and honestly, getting any done has just been really hard since all I want to do is sleep. But chapter five is finally out! Also, I've started writing the chapters a little differently (Spaces between paragraphs like it should normally be written) hopefully this makes the chapters easier to read! I might go back and fix the others later on! But, things are slowly progressing! I'll do my best to update again soon. Thank you so much for your patience and I will see you in the next chapter! 
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	6. Six

“What the hell should I do then!? I don’t want to be in love with him! He’s my rival! My best friend! I can’t feel that way about him!” Natsu suddenly shouted out. He had jumped to his feet, only to start pacing around his living room. Panic was starting to set it, and it was setting in fast. How on earth could he be in love with Gray of all people!? He couldn’t process it at all. 

“Natsu! You need to calm yourself down.” Erza suddenly jumped up and grasped her friend by the shoulders. The fire mage stopped moving around instantly, but panic was still written all over his face.

“How the hell can I calm down!? I don’t even know how I’m supposed to feel now! What do I do? How the hell am I supposed to act!? I don’t want him to know!” Natsu shook his head like crazy, his hands flew up, gripping onto his pink locks. 

“Y-you don’t want to tell him? Why the heck not!? He might feel the same way about you! Think about it. You two are always saving each other and are always at each other’s side. You have a bond that’s way stronger than friendship, that’s for sure. Don’t you think that it’s possible he could feel the same way about you?” Erza tilted her head to the side. She couldn’t believe Natsu didn’t want to confess to Gray, but at the same time, she somewhat understood. If Gray were to reject Natsu, it could damage their friendship. 

“Erza...There’s no way he would ever feel the same about me. You can dream all you want, but it is highly unlikely. Do you really think I want to say something to him and then have it badly? He’s my best friend, we have been since we were kids. I don’t want to risk losing that. And besides, I don’t even know for sure if that’s what these dreams mean…” Natsu sighed as he dropped his hands to his sides. He didn’t know how to feel or what to do. Was he actually in love with Gray or was this just a phase because they were always together?

“Then what do you plan on doing, Natsu?” Erza was hesitant to ask the question, but she did anyway. She had a feeling she wouldn’t like the answer either. 

“...I think I just need to get away from here for a little while and clear my head. Maybe take a mission that will take longer than a few days...maybe a month or two. I don’t want anyone else to know about it though.” Natsu stopped talking, only to look Erza directly in the eye. “That means, I don’t want you telling anyone about this decision I’m making. I’ll make sure to write to you so you know I’m fine.”

Erza knew she wasn’t going to like that answer. In fact, she was completely against the idea at all. She honestly couldn’t believe he was trying to run away from something like this. What could she even say to try to talk him out of this? She could just smack him and tell him he’s being foolish, but at the same time, he looked rather worried about this entire thing. The red head was torn. 

“Erza.” Natsu’s voice came again. This time he was the one with the stern tone. “I know you don’t like this idea at all and you probably think I’m stupid for wanting to run off like this, but I’m doing it because I need to clear my head. If being away from him for that amount of time doesn’t change anything, then I’ll try to confess...but for now I just need time to think this over.”

“Natsu. You’re right. I do think you’re stupid for wanting to run away from this situation… However I understand that you don’t want to risk your friendship with him. I promise I won’t tell anyone as long as you keep in contact with me. I expect a letter at least once every two weeks. If you fail to write one even once, I’m telling them and we’re coming after you. Do you understand me?” Erza still had her hands on Natsu’s shoulders. She squeezed them slightly to show that she was being serious. Natsu was one of her best friends. If she ever lost him, she didn’t know what she would do.

“Erza…” Natsu finally showed the red head one of his usual bright smiles. “Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it. I promise I’ll do my best to write at least once a week, but don’t freak out if I miss one because you know I forget sometimes. If I don’t write after two weeks, then you can worry, okay?” 

The fire mage let out a soft yelp when he was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace. He hadn’t expected Erza to hug him so suddenly, but he didn’t hesitate to return the embrace. He wouldn’t see her for a while, and he was really going to miss her, along with everyone else in the guild. He didn’t even plan on bringing Happy with him, but he knew the little cat would probably follow him. 

“You better be careful, you idiot… Don’t get yourself in trouble.” Erza finally released Natsu from her grasp and stepped back. The two of them exchanged smiles once more. Natsu was really glad to have Erza as one of his friends.

“Do you want to come with me to the Guildhall? I could use some cover while I choose which mission to go after. Also, I’ll be taking Happy, that way it doesn’t look too suspicious.” Natsu walked toward his door so he could slide his sandals on.

“You know I’ll always provide you with backup and good call on taking Happy. I know you want to do this on your own, but if you left your flying cat behind, well people would wonder what the heck was wrong with you.” Erza laughed gently as she followed her friend to the door. She still had to figure out what she would tell Lucy and Gray if they asked where Natsu was. She knew Gray would be angry about Natsu going off on his own, but maybe she could get some information out of Gray as well.

Natsu laughed softly. He still couldn’t express how relieved he was to have Erza on his side like this. She really was the best, even if she could be scary at times. That was just who Erza was. She may have been scary, but she was also a very caring person when it came to her friends and Guildmates. Natsu really admired her for coming so far. She was truly amazing.

“We should get going then. I don’t want the good ones to get taken out from under my nose!” Natsu grinned widely as he threw the door open. He had a bit more energy thanks to the small nap he had taken before Erza arrived. He was practically back to his old self, except for the fact that his mind was still spazzing with the possibility of him being in love with Gray. He shook those thoughts away for now though. The main goal was to get to the Guildhall and snatch up a mission without being questioned by the others. That shouldn’t be too hard, except..this was Fairytail. There would always be something happening in that place, and it would almost always be destructive. 

“Let’s go, Erza!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hi everyone! Chapter six is finally out! I'm glad to see this story is being enjoyed! I'm really having fun with it and honestly, motivation for this story has spiked up! So I hope to update more often! Also, Natsu seems to be making a drastic choice here, but maybe he really does need this! Anyways, I'll see everyone in the next update! Thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	7. Seven

It didn’t take the pair long to once again reach the Guildhall. Erza still wasn’t sure what she would do if the others started asking questions, but she was sure she’d figure something out without making anything too obvious. It was pretty late in the afternoon anyways, so most of the members should either be heading home, or be heading out on their missions. 

“Let’s get inside Erza.” Natsu hurried toward the door and started to reach out to open it, however, that motion was cut short. Before Natsu realized it, the door had flung open, and once again he was crashing into someone, sending them both to the ground.

“Natsu! Are you alright!?” Erza hurried over to her friend and the person he had crashed into, but when she saw a familiar looking face, she instantly became worried. 

“I’m fine...but who the hell did I run into…?” Natsu asked as he sat himself up slowly. Oh this did not look good at all. Slowly Natsu cracked his eyes open, only to instantly regret it. 

“Oi! Dragon Boy! How many times do I have to tell you to watch where you’re going!?” That familiar voice, that cold body he had crashed into. Oh this was beyond embarrassing because Natsu was practically sitting on him. 

“Gray! Are you alright?” Erza asked the ice mage as she knelt down beside the two boys. She couldn’t believe Natsu was still on him like this. Why hadn’t he moved? When she looked toward the fire mage, she noticed that he looked entirely freaked out and his face was even turning red.

“I’m fine...it’s not like I haven’t been run over by him before…” Gray looked toward Erza and sighed. He didn’t want to yell at Natsu too much because when they had met earlier, Natsu hadn’t seemed like himself. Heck, he still didn’t seem like himself because he hadn’t shouted back at him. “Oi...Natsu, let me up already.”

Finally something clicked. Natsu jumped off of his rival almost instantly. Luckily there weren’t too many people in the guild at this time, but the few that were had all stopped what they were doing and were all staring at the three. It looked like some of them were even whispering to each other. That was making things even worse for Natsu. 

“...Sorry about that, Snowflake…” Natsu mumbled lowly. He managed to help Gray get back to his feet, but no other words were exchanged. Natsu simply made his way around the ice mage and over to the Request Board. He needed to find a lengthy mission and fast. 

After Natsu had walked away, Gray quickly turned toward Erza. The ice mage had a very confused look on his face. Sure Natsu had thrown a name at him, but not in his usual tone. Was Natsu still tired or something? No that couldn’t be it because they had a normal encounter earlier that day. Now Gray found himself starting to become rather worried about his friend.

“Erza...What’s wrong with him? He hasn’t been himself at all and now I’m getting worried. I’ve never seen him react like that before.” If anything, Gray was sure Erza would tell him. 

“He’s still just a little tired, Gray. Just give him a few days and I’m sure he’ll be back to his old self.” She smiled toward the ice mage and gently patted him on the head. She honestly thought it was cute that he was worried about Natsu like that. 

“If he’s so tired then why is he looking at the Request Board? He doesn’t seem like he’s in any shape to go on a mission. That idiot is going to get himself killed one day.” Gray rolled his eyes and let out a small sigh. “Maybe you should talk him out of taking any missions for now…” 

“Gray, this is Natsu. You of all people should know that no one can talk him out of anything once he’s decided to do it.” Erza’s gaze landed on Natsu, who was still looking over the request board. She was worried about letting him go off on his own, but she felt that he needed this too. 

“You’re honestly not going to try to talk him out of trying to take any jobs right now? Erza, you of all people could get him to change his mind and stay until he’s back to himself.” Gray sounded more worried that Erza originally thought he was. Maybe he had secret feelings for Natsu as well? This was interesting.

“Gray-” Erza had started to talk but Gray was already walking away from her. He was heading straight for Natsu. Oh this probably wasn’t going to end well. She knew she should probably stop this, but she wanted to see what would happen between the two of them. 

As Natsu continued to look over the different jobs they had listed, his eyes landed on a lengthy one that would take a few months. That was perfect, and it didn’t seem like it would be too hard. Getting there would take the longest amount of time from the looks of it. Though, he couldn’t grab it as quickly as he wanted. Right as he started to lift his hand to the board, his wrist was grabbed.

“You’re in no condition to be taking on any kind of jobs, Natsu.” Gray’s voice hit his ears, causing Natsu to hesitate. When he looked over, he saw Gray looking at him with a really serious expression.  
“Dude… I’m perfectly fine. Besides there’s nothing for you to worry about.” Natsu pulled his wrist from Gray’s hold and stepped back a bit. “That serious look doesn’t suit you at all, Ice Princess.”

“Maybe if you weren’t trying to do something stupid I wouldn’t look like this, Fire Breath.” Gray crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Natsu even more. 

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine like I told you. Anyways, I’m not taking a mission anyways. I was just seeing what was currently on the board.” Natsu shrugged causally. Why wasn’t Erza over here dealing with Gray? As he glanced around the ice mage, he saw his so-called back up watching them from a distance. 

“You looked like you were about to reach for something, that’s why I stopped you. Go back home and go back to bed. You’re not acting like yourself still, so you’re definitely not ready for any kind of missions.” Gray sounded as if he were scolding Natsu, but the pink haired male barely reacted. 

“Fine, I’ll go home and go back to bed…” Natsu huffed softly, his gaze shifted toward the board once again. However, when he tried to find that mission again, it had disappeared. Damn, it must have gotten snatched when Gray distracted him. 

“Hopefully you’ll be back to your old self by tomorrow or something. You’re really freaking me out with the way you’ve been acting…” Gray smiled slightly and gave Natsu a small shove toward the doors. “Go home and go back to bed. That’s the best decision.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Yo beans! Chapter Seven is finally out! Updates are moving slowly because I'm still really freaking tired <~> I'm sorry guys, but I'm hoping to update more as soon as possible! Maybe when I'm not mentally drained from work! With that being said, I'm really glad to see that you guys are enjoying the story so far! I hope to update it again as soon as possible! Thank you so much for reading and I will see you next time!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	8. Chapter 8

As Gray had instructed, Natsu had left the Guildhall without trying to argue with the other. Such a motion had once agains surprised the small amount of members who had still been there, but that wasn’t what was bothering Natsu. He couldn’t figure out where that mission had disappeared to. It was on the board and then it was suddenly gone in such a short period of time. 

“Natsu!” A high pitched voice called out. The fire mage stopped walking and turned in the direction of the voice, only to see Happy flying toward him. 

“Hey little buddy. What’s up?” Natsu smiled toward the flying cat. He was always glad to see his beloved friend.

“While you were distracted by Gray, Erza found me and told me you planned on leaving for a while… Soooo…” Happy suddenly grinned widely and pulled out the flyer Natsu had been looking at. “I snatched this for you since you were looking at it! We can go together!”

Relief washed over Natsu when he looked over the flyer. He should have known. Honestly, it was the best possible outcome too. Now no one would know that Natsu had the mission. He could just disappear with Happy. Though, he did plan on leaving a note in his home, in case anyone started to search for him. He quickly hugged the small cat and grinned widely.

“You are the best, little buddy. Thank you so much for grabbing it…” Natsu started walking once again, this time while keeping Happy in his arms. “And yeah, we can go together. I planned on bringing you with me anyways.”

“Do you ever plan to tell me why you’re trying to be all sneaky, and why you’re acting so weird around Gray?” Happy asked, tilting his head curiously to the side.

“Maybe once we get far enough away… I know you can be a blabber mouth, and I’d rather not have anyone else finding out right now.” Natsu laughed as he watched a pout from on Happy’s face.  
“That’s mean, Natsu! I’m your best friend! You should tell me anyways!” Happy whined as he flailed his small paws. 

Natsu simply ignored the protests of his furry friend as he finally arrived back at his home. He was hoping to sneak out of town tonight, meaning he didn’t have much time before the sun would set. Once he was inside his home, he sat Happy down on the couch and hurried off to his room to get ready to head out. 

By the time Natsu finished packing everything, the sun had already set and darkness filled the streets of Magnolia. The fire mage slipped his bag on his shoulders and made sure to turn out all the lights. He had left a note on his pillow for someone to find, if anyone came by later on. By his side, Happy was standing beside him. The two of them would be gone for at least six months. That’s what Natsu had figured out as he read through the flyer better. Six months should be plenty of time, right? He sure hoped so. As the two of them stood in the doorway, his gaze shifted down to his furry companion.

“Ready, Happy?” He asked softly.

“You bet, Natsu. Honestly, I’m gonna miss everyone, especially Carla but you really seem like you need this and I don’t want you to go alone.” The blue cat gave Natsu a reassuring smile. He had been with Natsu ever since he hatched out of that egg so many years ago. They were best friends after that.

“I know you are, little buddy. I’ll miss everyone too. They’re all going to be pretty mad when they find out we left without saying goodbye, but it’s just better that way.” Natsu sighed softly and together the two of them stepped away from the doorway, allowing Natsu to close the door. Happy’s wings suddenly appeared on his back as he flew up to be eye level with the pink haired male. 

“Do you want to fly? It might be better that way in case anyone is still walking the streets.” Happy suggested, and honestly it was a good idea. Natsu didn’t want to risk running into anyone before taking off, so he nodded his head and turned so Happy could grab onto the back of his shirt.

“That’s probably the best idea. You won’t have to fly for long though. Just to the edge of town, alright?” Natsu didn’t want the small cat to exhaust himself too early. This was going to be a very long journey after all. 

Happy simply nodded his head before he grasped onto Natsu’s shirt. He quickly lifted the dragon slayer off the ground and together, they flew toward the entrance of town. It was a beautiful night, perfect for starting out on such a long mission. As they flew over town, Natsu made sure to take in the view, since he wouldn’t be seeing it for so long. He felt his emotions setting in, but he couldn’t let them get to him now. If he did, he’d probably change his mind and right now, he really needed to get away. 

“Natsu...someone’s there…” Happy suddenly said as the exit came into view. He had a feeling he knew who was waiting for them. As the two of them landed, Natsu’s suspicion was correct. The figure Happy had seen was Erza. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. He should have known she’d be waiting for him.

“Did you really think I’d let you two disappear on me without saying goodbye?” Erza asked in a playful tone. She stood herself up straight as Natsu and Happy approached her. 

“Nah, I had a feeling you’d come to say goodbye. Thanks for sending Happy to snatch up the mission I was wanting to get.” Natsu smiled as well and Erza nodded.

“Well, I had to do something. If I hadn’t Gray would have found out.” Erza laughed softly before letting out a small sigh. Her expression suddenly changed. “How long will you be gone, Natsu?”  
“About six months...that’s what the flyer said anyways. I left a note on my bed. I’m sure someone will find it within the next couple of days, but by then we’ll be long gone.” Natsu looked toward the ground. He knew she was pretty upset about all this and he was too. 

“Damn...that long huh? You idiot…” Erza clenched her fist tightly before she jumped forward, pulling her best friend into a tight embrace. Natsu yelped in surprise, but quickly returned her hug. He felt so bad, but this was important. 

“I’m sorry, Erza… I wish I didn’t feel this way, but I need to get away for now… Once the others find out, please tell them I’m sorry. Especially Gray...” Natsu bit his lip slightly. He felt as if he would cry if this encounter didn’t end soon. 

“I promise, Natsu… You have my word.” Erza released her friend and quickly wiped her left eye. She was close to crying as well, but she stayed strong. 

“Erza...Thank you for being my friend and helping me do this. I promise I’ll write to you as soon as I get to the next town, alright? We’ll stay in contact.” Natsu said reassuringly. 

Erza nodded her head and watched as Natsu made his way around her. The two of them exchanged one final glance before the fire mage slowly disappeared into the night. Once she was alone, she placed a hand over her eyes. Once again, a small amount of tears fell down her left cheek. She really would miss her beloved friend, but this mission was to help him clear his head and she respected that.

“Just please be careful, Natsu…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Chapter eight is finally done! Natsu is officially leaving Magnolia for a little while! Poor Erza! She didn't want to see him leave but he feels like he needs too!! Anyways, he'll hopefully be back soon! Hang in there, Erza! Anyways, thank you guys for all the supportive comments! They mean a lot to me! You guys are so amazing! I hope to update again soon! Thank you so much for reading and I will see you next time!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	9. Nine

Three days had passed since Natsu had left Magnolia. Erza was currently sitting at the bar, talking to Mira Jane. She had been rather down since the night she said goodbye to Natsu, but so far nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Of course as soon as she sat down, Mira had asked her where Natsu had been since she hadn’t seen him in a few days. Erza hadn’t kept the information from Mira Jane. 

“He really took off three days ago? But why?” Mira asked in a low tone. Erza had asked her to keep it between them, and of course she had agreed because she respected the privacy. 

“He hasn’t been himself lately and needed to get away from here… The mission he took was a six month mission too.” Erza leaned forward, resting her cheek on her hand. 

“Six months? He took that mission?” Mira looked rather surprised. She couldn’t believe Natsu had taken such a mission just to get away from this place. 

“Yes…and I already told you he asked me not to tell anyone, so I’m trusting you to keep it between us…” Erza sighed quietly. She had wanted to stay completely silent about this, but she found that she really needed to talk to someone about this, so she decided to trust Mira Jane. 

“Did he leave anything behind?” The silver haired female asked as she started to casually clean a mug. 

“There’s a note on his bed in case anyone goes looking for him. He left that there for them and he was sure no one would search for a few days, giving him plenty of time to get away from this place. He didn’t want anyone trying to stop him.” Erza clenched her other fist before she looked back toward Mira. 

“Natsu has always been like that. He doesn’t want you to know what he’s thinking and he doesn’t want anyone to try and stop him… I guess if Gray or Lucy go to his house looking for him, they’ll find the note and then demand to know everything though.” Mira put the mug down and let out a quiet sigh. She still wondered what had been going on in Natsu’s head. That mission...it was going to be a long one.

Before either of them could say anything, the doors to the guild were suddenly thrown open. Both females, along with everyone in the guild, looked toward the doors. A certain male with dark blue hair was standing in the doorway, his hands were clenched into fists and Erza noticed a piece of paper crumpled in his hand. 

“Erza! Tell me what the hell is going on!” Gray shouted out as he stormed toward the red headed female. His dark blue eyes were filled with so many different emotions, rage, concern, sadness, and many others. He must have gone to check on Natsu and found his note. Damn, she would have to come clean now, but maybe she could play dumb? 

“What on earth has you all worked up? I realize it’s the middle of the afternoon, but some people still aren’t awake yet.” Erza replied casually. 

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about! Where the hell is Natsu!? Tell me what the meaning of this is too!” Gray slammed his hand down on the bar.Under it was a piece of paper, the same piece he had been holding moments ago. It was Natsu’s note. She should have known playing dumb wouldn’t work. 

“Gray. You need to calm down… If you don’t, I won’t tell you a damn thing.” Erza said sternly, but Gray didn’t like that response. 

“I’m not calming down until you tell me where the hell that idiot has disappeared to!” Gray was practically shaking with anger. It was causing the rest of the guild members to become rather curious. 

“Sit down and stop yelling right now!” Erza was shouting now. She had instantly gotten to her feet and she now had one of her swords in her grasp. She pointed it at Gray, almost daring him to yell at her again. 

Gray sighed softly, holding his hands up to show that he surrendered. He wouldn’t yell anymore. Not yet anyways. Honestly, he didn’t mean to freak out like that, but when he found and read the note, he had practically lost it. The last time he saw Natsu, the fire mage looked as if he were about to fall over, and now he was gone. 

“Gray…” Erza slowly put her sword away and watched as the blue haired male sat himself down on one of the barstools. Before she continued speaking, she picked up the note and started to read it.

~~  
To whoever finds this,

If you’ve found this, then you’ve discovered that I’m no longer in Magnolia. The reason for that is because I needed to leave to clear my head. I’ve taken a solo mission that will take at least six months to complete. During this mission, I’m hoping I’ll get my thoughts together so I can stop making everyone worry so much. Honestly, I don’t want to go into detail about what’s been going on, but I promise I’ll see you all again, just not as soon as I’m hoping. I’m sorry for making you all worry. Make sure you all take care of yourselves and I look forward to seeing you all once again. Happy does too. Goodbye for now.

~  
Natsu Dragneel  
~~

Erza wanted to cry again, but she had cried enough. She already knew everything, so there was no point in getting emotional over it right now. She had to deal with Gray for the moment. As she put the note back down on the bar, she looked at the distressed ice mage. Her hand came down on his shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.

“Gray, you don’t need to worry about it. He’s going to be just fine. He just wanted to get away from everything for a while and he didn’t want anyone to stop him from going.” Erza spoke softly, not wanting to upset Gray any further. 

“Erza, he was in no condition to just take off like that. Hell, he looked like he was about to pass out and if he’s that tired, then he’s low on magical energy too. He could easily be taken down if he isn’t careful.” Gray’s voice was full of concern, and Erza knew he wasn’t wrong. 

“I know he wasn’t… He was going to go regardless though. He seemed desperate to clear his mind, and apparently staying here wasn’t going to help him do it.” Erza wanted to tell Gray the real reason, but she couldn’t do it. Not without Natsu’s permission. 

“We have to go after him, Erza. We can’t let him be out there on his own.” Gray started to get to his feet, but Erza forced him to sit back down. 

“He’s probably too far away by now and you have no idea where he’s going. You’ll never find him… We just have to wait for him to come back.” Erza actually knew where he was going, but she wouldn’t tell Gray that, not yet. 

“I don’t care about that… I just want to find him and make sure he’s okay…” Gray gripped his dark blue hair tightly and looked toward the bar. Erza understood how Gray felt, but she wasn’t going to worry until Natsu stopped writing to her. He hadn’t sent a letter yet, but she was sure she’d have one within the next couple of days. Until then, she had to stay silent.

“Gray, I promise he’ll be okay. I’m sure he’ll write to us or something and if a month goes by without us hearing from him, then we’ll go look for him, alright?” Erza smiled toward her friend and watched as Gray nodded his head. 

“I just want that idiot to be safe…” Gray mumbled softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey everyone! Chapter Nine is finally finished! Looks like Gray knows that Natsu has taken off now! He's so worried! Don't worry Gray, you'll have Natsu soon! Maybe... Anyways, thank you so much for reading and thank you for all the support I've been receiving on this story! It really means a lot to me! I hope to update again as soon as possible! Thanks again for reading and I will see you guys next time!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	10. Ten

As the weeks passed, Natsu had made sure to send Erza a letter each time he stopped. He had only been gone for roughly a month, and he still didn’t feel any different. If anything, he had lost even more sleep because of those damn dreams. They were starting to become more graphic. At first, they had stopped right as Gray kissed him, but now they were going much further than that. The thought of them was enough to make Natsu blush madly.

“You’re blushing so badly Natsu!” Happy noted as he flew beside the pink haired male. As promised, Natsu had told Happy the real reason he left Magnolia and the little cat didn’t seem to be surprised at all. “You’re thinking about Gray again, aren’t you?”

“Shut up, fluff ball!.” Natsu shouted out quickly. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you about that…” He had promised though and he wasn't one to break a promise to his friend. 

“I don’t see why you didn’t just confess your feelings to him. You never know, he might have felt the same way.” Happy hummed softly. 

“I know I told you why. I’m not sure if those are my true feelings, and I didn’t want to risk rejection and ruin our friendship…” Natsu looked toward the ground as they continued to make their way toward Malba City. 

“Natsu...I think Gray cares for you more than you know. He might feel the same way and just doesn’t know how to tell you.” Happy nudged his friend lightly but Natsu didn’t look up again. He just wanted to get to the city so he could continue clearing his head. Gray was coming to mind more and more now that Natsu was away from Magnolia. It really irritated him, but he did his best to ignore it.  
“We’re just friends, rivals, nothing more than that. There’s no way he would ever feel the same about me and I don’t want to risk it at all. I miss them all already, but with my mind like this, I can’t even face Gray right now.” Natsu sighed quietly, clenching his hands into fists. 

“Natsu…” Happy sounded rather sad. He wished he could do something to help his friend, but the small cat was unsure of what to do for the other. 

“Happy, it’s alright. We’ll be in the next town soon. Once we get a place to stay, I have to make sure I write to Erza before I try and take another nap. I need to try and sleep as much as possible now since I haven’t been getting a lot of it recently.” As Natsu finished speaking, the next small town finally came into view. 

This was perfect. The place even looked as if it had a spa. Natsu was sure he could go for a relaxing soak in the hot springs. He looked toward the small cat beside him and grinned widely before he took off toward the down with Happy following close behind him. 

A shadow figure suddenly appeared in the spot the two had been standing only moments ago. A small grin appeared on the mysterious figure’s face as they watched the dragon slayer and flying cat make their way toward the town. The figure had been watching Natsu for some time now, and had been trying to come up with a way to distract him so they could easily snatch him up. Sure the pink haired male was lacking in magical energy, but that didn’t mean he would be easy to apprehend. 

“What do you think we should do, boss?” Another shadow figure appeared behind the first one. They were on one knee, their head facing the ground.

“Oh, I think we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let’s just keep a close eye on the boy. I think it will be fun to play with him.” The other shadow figure chuckled softly as he turned on his heels to face his kneeling comrade. 

“Sending that phony mission to that stupid guild was probably the best idea you’ve ever had, sir. I didn’t expect the mission to attract the mission of the dragon slayer himself though.” The kneeling figure slowly got to his feet. “How on earth did you accomplish it?”

“It’s all part of my magical ability, kiddo. I’ve been watching this dragon slayer for several months. I noticed how he and that ice mage reacted around each other, so I just used a bit of magic to pull the boy’s true feelings out. Now they’ve been making themselves known in his dreams, and it has confused him and forced him to take drastic measures like this.” The leader chuckled a bit more and stretched his arms out. 

“And what was the meaning of pulling those feelings out?” His partner asked in a curious tone.

“You see, ever since I saw that boy, I wanted to snatch him up and make him mine. He would be a fantastic addition to our group and...well let’s just say I’m interested in him in more ways than one…” A soft purr erupted from the leading figure’s voice. 

“So you made him realize these feelings, which caused him to take on that long phony mission, just so you could get your hands on him and make him your own? So...this was out of jealousy?” It was as if the second shadow figure had hit the nail right on the head. 

“Shut up and don’t question my methods. Now we need to get moving. We don’t want to lose track of him. He’ll still be a great addition to our group. That power he possesses as a dragon slayer, it’s more than any of us can imagine, especially if he becomes angry. Come on now...let’s hurry and catch up.”

As Natsu and Happy finally made their way to the place where they would be staying, the fire mage was hit with a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while. Sure he missed everyone back in Magnolia, but he hadn’t realized just how much until he was standing in front of this place. It reminded him of the time that he had stayed at a resort similar to this with Gray, Lucy and Erza. He and Gray had a hard core pillow fight, along with Erza. They had practically destroyed the place as usual. Remembering such a thing made him smile sadly. 

“Natsu…?” Happy noticed the sudden change in Natsu’s mood.

“I’m fine, Happy. Just remembering some things…” Natsu replied softly. He felt as if he were going to cry, but he quickly shook his head. “Come on, let’s get inside and get us a room!”

“Aye, sir!” Happy smiled brightly, but he was still worried about Natsu. He was starting to think that this trip was a big mistake, but he decided against saying anything for now. It wasn’t worth upsetting Natsu anymore. Without another word, the pair made their way inside. After checking in and receiving their room key, the first thing Natsu decided to do was get a letter written and sent to Erza before she freaked out on him. 

“Just give me a few minutes to write Erza a letter, then we can go relax for a little bit.” Natsu said as they entered the room they would be staying in. After throwing his stuff down, Natsu flopped down beside a table and pulled out a piece of paper. He hoped that everyone back home was doing well. He was sure they were all still as wild as ever. He missed them deeply, but he couldn’t return. Not yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Chapter ten is finally finished! Honestly I probably won't be able to update again for a few days because I work the next three. I hope to update soon though! Also, looks like Natsu is being followed by some mysterious people! Poor baby might be in trouble! Anyways thank you so much for reading! I'll see you all in the next update!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	11. Eleven

~~  
To Erza and everyone at the Guild,

It’s been a month since I left you all and honestly, I miss you more than you can even imagine. I’ve still got a long journey ahead of me, but I hope to be back home with everyone as soon as possible. So far, nothing too eventful has happened. Happy and I have stopped at a small resort with a hot spring. Being here reminds me of the time when Erza, Gray, Lucy and I stayed at one. Remember that wicked pillow fight we had? We practically destroyed the place! Oh they were so mad, but it was so much fun. If you guys were here with me, I’m sure something like that would happen again. The Old Man would definitely be getting a bill for the damage as usual.

Anyways, I should be at the location within the next couple of months. I’m sorry I just took off without saying goodbye to any of you. I just couldn’t risk someone talking me out of going. I know I haven’t been in the best state lately, but there’s no need to worry about that. Things are slowly getting better. I promise to make it up to everyone once I get back. Until then, keep up the great work. Tell Gramps I said hi as well. I’ll write again at my next stop. I love you all very much and so does Happy. See you guys soon. 

~  
Natsu and Happy  
~~

As Erza finished reading Natsu’s letter to the small amount of present guild members, she was pretty much trembling. Had it really only been a month since Natsu left? It felt like so much longer, not just for her but for everyone. Fairy Tail had been much quieter since Natsu and Happy had taken off, and it honestly seemed to have quite an effect on everyone in Fairy Tail. The red head slowly put the letter down on the counter. She planned on putting it in a box with the other letters she had received from Natsu. 

“He didn’t say where he currently was?” Gray asked lightly. The ice mage had been extra depressed since his best friend and rival had up and left without saying goodbye. It wasn’t the same without Natsu around. It was boring and rather lonely.

“No. He didn’t even write a return address on the envelope. Sorry, Gray.” Erza smiled apologetically. She knew how worried Gray was, but there was nothing they could do without knowing Natsu’s location. She had been wanting to go after him herself, but she knew Natsu wouldn’t be too thrilled if she did such a thing. 

“Damn it!” Gray slammed his hand down and got to his feet. Erza still had yet to find out if Gray had the same feelings Natsu did. If she could find out, then she’d tell Gray the truth and she’d cave about going after their friend. Natsu refused to confess his feelings because he didn’t want to ruin his friendship with Gray, but at the same time, Erza wished he would have tried. 

Gray didn’t bother sticking around. He practically stormed out of the guild with an irritated look on his face. He hadn’t been able to hardly sleep because he was so worried about Natsu. He was afraid the fire mage would get himself in some kind of trouble that he couldn’t get out of. If that happened...well Gray didn’t want to think about it. 

“Gray! Wait up!” Erza had chased after the ice mage after he stormed out. She needed to get answers so they could get Natsu home. 

“Erza… You know the truth, I know you do. Why did he really leave? Why won’t he tell me anything? What’s going on?” Gray demanded answers, but he was sure Erza wouldn’t give them to him. Not without some kind of convincing. 

“Gray. I know you want these answers, but Natsu literally begged me to keep my mouth shut. Why are you suddenly so worried about him? I know he’s your best friend, but you haven’t been the same. I know none of us have, but it’s hitting you the hardest.” Erza crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for the other to answer her.

“Wouldn’t you be worried if the person you cared about just up and left without saying a word to you? Especially after acting so strangely?” Gray asked as he turned toward the sword mage. Yes, he cared about Natsu, way more than he felt he should. 

“Gray… How much do you care for him? I know he’s your best friend, but is there something more than that?” Erza asked softly. This was the opening she had been waiting for. She didn’t plan on letting it go now. If Gray told her now, she’d tell him.

“Erza… Natsu means more to me than anything else. I thought it was obvious to everyone by now, but I guess not. He’s an idiot, he’s reckless, hot-headed, but… That’s what makes him Natsu. If anything were to happen to him, I honestly don’t know what I’d do.” Gray’s cheeks had turned a slight shade of pink as he shifted his gaze away from the red head. He was sure that should be enough for her, and it was. That was all Erza needed to hear, but she still decided to confirm it.

“Gray… It sounds like you’re trying to tell me that you love him. Not just as a friend, but as more than that. Am I right?” She asked as she stepped a bit closer to the ice mage. 

“...I didn’t know if that’s what it actually was or not but… when I found that note on his bed, it felt like everything had just crashed. He got up and left just like that. If something happens to him, I’ll never be able to tell him.” Gray sighed softly as he rubbed the back of his head. 

“Listen to me… Natsu told me that he had been having strange dreams lately. Dreams that involved you and him. He didn’t know what they meant at first, and they started to freak him out. That was why he hadn’t been sleeping much lately. I finally got him to tell me about these dreams and I came to a conclusion. The only conclusion that made sense. He was having these dreams because he’s in love with you. When I told him that’s what it was, he freaked out even more. Instead of coming clean, he decided to get away to try and clear his head… That’s why he didn’t say goodbye or anything.” Gray had told her, so Erza told him everything that had been going on with Natsu. 

Gray was surprised to hear such a thing. Was that the actual truth? Natsu was in love with him and had taken off to avoid saying anything? The ice mage didn’t understand why Natsu didn’t want to tell him how he felt. He had so many questions, but he didn’t want the answers from Erza. He wanted to hear them from Natsu, but it would still be at least five months before the fire mage would return.

“Damn it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Mahhhh!!! Hi everyone! Chapter Eleven is finally finished! I'm really sorry it took so long. I've been struggling lately! But I'm glad I was finally able to update this! Thank you all so much for the support I've been receiving! It really means a lot! You guys are so awesome! ^-^ Anyways, I hope to update again soon! Thank you all so much for reading and I will see you next time!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	12. Twelve

Three more months had passed. Natsu and Happy were halfway through their long journey, and things hadn’t gotten any better for the fire mage. His dreams continued to become more graphic. They were starting to involve touching, and other things. Things that made Natsu blush whenever he remembered them. It seemed the longer he stayed away, the worse the dreams got. He lost more and more sleep, but he didn’t let it bother him. It would all be over soon, he was sure of it. If he still felt this way when he got back home, he’d stop hiding it and tell Gray the truth even if it would risk their friendship. He needed closure now. 

“Natsu, watch out!” Happy called out, but it was too late. Natsu hadn’t seen the root sticking up from the ground and ended up landing face first in the dirt after tripping over it. 

“Ugh…this lack of sleep is going to be the death of me!” Natsu whined as he rolled onto his back. He didn’t even feel any pain when he landed, that was just how tired he was. The fire mage sighed softly before pushing himself to a sitting position. How would he manage to complete this mission on such little sleep? 

“We should just go back home, Natsu. You’re losing all this sleep because you won’t tell Gray how you feel… It’s obvious that you love him and that’s what’s keeping you up.” Happy landed on Natsu’s knees and lightly pawed his face. “I’m sure Gray won’t hate you if you tell him… If he doesn’t feel the same, he won’t be mean about it, you know.” 

“I know that...but if he ended up not feeling the same, things would just be awkward. I don’t think my feelings would fade after being rejected. It would just be way worse and that’s something I don’t want.” Natsu let out a sad sigh and gently placed his hand on Happy’s head. Three months away from home…it was too long. Natsu wanted to go back more than anything, but he couldn’t. He needed to do this. 

Finally, the fire mage forced himself back to his feet. There was no point in sitting around any longer, not when they had a forest to get through. If they wasted any more time, they’d end up being late. With Natsu back on his feet, Happy flew beside him once again. The blue cat couldn’t shake his concern for his friend. It seemed that Natsu was getting worse with each day that passed. While Happy was lost in his thoughts, Natsu had stopped walking. He sniffed the air and instantly his guard rose.

“Happy… We’re being followed.” Natsu spoke lowly. Even in his exhausted state, the fire mage was on full alert. “Go hide, little buddy. I’ll be okay.” 

“But Natsu-” Happy tried to protest, but was cut off when Natsu turned and glared at him. The blue cat nodded his head before flying into a nearby tree to keep himself hidden. 

“Alright. I know you’re there! I can smell ya! Now come on out!” Natsu shouted out. Seconds later, a deep chuckle could be heard right as a strange man appeared in front of the dragon slayer. 

“So you finally sensed me…” The man grinned slightly. He had red hair that went to his shoulders and wicked looking green eyes. Those eyes were enough to make Natsu shudder slightly. It was as if he were looking into the eyes of a beast. This man was dressed in a simple black shirt with long sleeves, grey jeans that were slightly ripped, and no shoes. Natsu could see the edges of a scar near the collar of the stranger’s shirt as well. Not only that, but Natsu could also sense the power coming from this man. It was terrifying.

“Who are you? You’re gettin’ in my way.” Natsu growled lowly and glared toward the stranger. He didn’t like this at all. 

“My, that glare doesn’t suit you at all. You also look like you’re about to pass out.” The red head chuckled once again before placing a hand on his hip. Oh yes, this boy was definitely the one he was after.   
“Shut the hell up. Tell me who you are and what you want.” Natsu demanded. He didn’t like the feeling he was getting from this guy. He honestly wanted to get away from him as soon as possible, but it didn’t look like such a thing would be easy at all. 

“Your questions will be answered in time, little dragon slayer…” The red head grinned slightly as he held his hand up. “For now, I think it’s best if you finally get some rest.” 

“If you think you’re going to knock me out, you’ve got another thing coming, buddy!” Natsu shouted before charging forward. He didn’t have much energy, so he’d have to make this attack count. Right as he was about to attack, his vision suddenly went blurry and pain shot through the back of his neck. What had just happened? He didn’t even see the guy attack. 

“You cut that really close you know.” The stranger spoke as he watched Natsu hit the ground. There was a small object sticking out of the dragon slayer’s neck. It looked like a thin needle, but where had it come from? 

“Sorry boss. I was waiting for him to be completely focused on you.” A second figure emerged from a nearby bush. “I didn’t want to accidentally hit you with that needle. It would have knocked you out as well.” 

“Hmph. I trust your aim would be better than that. Anyways, we should scoop him up and hurry back to the hideout. We wouldn’t want him to wake up before we get there.” The red head walked over to Natsu and lifted him up. He was thrown over the mysterious man’s shoulder with ease and together the two started to walk off.

“Boss, what if someone follows us though?” The slightly shorter one asked.

“Please. We’re hidden in a cave in the middle of nowhere. No one will ever find us there. He’s not going to be able to escape either. Honestly, I’m looking forward to trying this little experiment out on him. It will be interesting to see the results.” The leader chuckled once again. 

“There’s still a high chance the experiment will fail so don’t get your hopes up too high. This is all going to depend on if his body is compatible with the serum or not.” The other male spoke lightly and the leader nodded. 

“Yes I’m aware of that, but I’m sure it will work. Now let’s hurry.”

Right as the two men disappeared, Happy emerged from his hiding spot with a horrified look on his face. Natsu had been snatched right before his eyes and he hadn’t done anything about it. There was only one thing he could do now. He had to get back to Fairy Tail and tell Erza. She’d be able to help him.

“Hang on Natsu… I’m coming back for you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey everyone! Sorry chapter twelve took so long! I've been going through some stuff but I'm glad that I finally got it updated! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Also thank you so much for reading and thank you for all the supportive comments! I really do appreciate them! I hope to update again as soon as possible! Thanks again for reading and I will see you next time!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	13. Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Sorry this took so long! I've still been trying to recover from depression and crap like that so that's why the chapters have been taking awhile. I've been doing a lot more sleeping still, though I know that doesn't really help, but I'm also just exhausted. I'm hoping to really pick things up soon though. I know I keep saying that, but I'm really hoping it happens. Thank you guys so much for all the comments. I read them all all and they mean a lot to me! Thank you really! Anyways, I'll do my best to continue the updates as much as possible! See you all in the next update!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))

“Erza, calm down. I’m sure he just forgot to write to you. The letter is only a couple days late.” Mira Jane said as she watched the sword mage pace back and forth in front of the bar. 

“No… He wouldn’t forget because he promised me he’d write to me once a week, or at least once every two weeks. This is the first one that has ever been late. I don’t think that’s a coincidence!” Erza shouted out. She then slammed her fist down on the bar. There was no reason for the letter to be late. 

“Erza...don’t you think you’re-” Mira didn’t have time to finish her sentence. She had been interrupted by a rather loud voice.

“ERZA!” Happy had flown in through an open window and instantly collapsed on the bar. The small cat was completely exhausted. He had never flown that fast before, but he had been focused on getting back as quickly as possible, causing him to use up all his magical energy. 

“Happy!?” Both girls said at the same time. If he was back and alone, then something had happened. The red head carefully lifted up the small cat, holding him gently in her arms.

“Happy...where’s Natsu…?” Erza asked softly. “Please try to relax and tell me what happened.” She sat herself down on one of the bar stools and lightly ran her hand across Happy’s head. The poor cat was completely exhausted, but he knew he couldn’t rest. He had to tell Erza what had happened. 

“W-we were getting ready to head into the forest. Natsu has been even more exhausted than before… I tried to make him come home but he didn’t want to yet.” Happy opened his eyes slowly so he could look toward the sword mage. “He told me to hide right before we went inside...and this stranger suddenly appeared… Natsu started to charge at him but...something happened and Natsu was passed out on the ground seconds later…” 

Erza felt her heart drop. She knew she shouldn’t have allowed Natsu to go. If she wanted to, she could have made him stay. She couldn’t believe she had been so irresponsible. Now Natsu was in trouble, and she had no idea how bad the situation was. She had to get Gray so they could hurry and save their friend.

“Happy, do you know where they took him?” Erza asked gently. 

“O-once I get my energy back… I can take you there… Please don’t go without me. I want to help you save Natsu. Those guys are going to do something to him, but I don’t know what it is… We have to hurry though…” Happy whimpered softly and closed his eyes once again. 

Erza felt her heart clench. Seeing Happy so weak like this, and now knowing Natsu was in fact in trouble. She was trembling with a mix of fear and anger. Natsu was in danger and they didn’t know how much. She knew one thing for sure, and that was that they didn’t have much time. With Happy still in her arms, the red head turned and rushed out of the Guild. She was going to find Gray, and together they were going to go get Natsu back and bring him home. 

Gray had been making his way back home after wandering around for what seemed like hours. Ever since Natsu had taken off, he hadn’t been the same. He had even told Erza exactly how he felt, and now he was dying to tell Natsu. Not only that, but Erza had revealed that Natsu had feelings for him as well. Knowing that made everything even worse. If Natsu hadn’t been so stubborn, then maybe they could have confessed to each other by now. Sighing softly, the ice mage shook his head as he started to go around a corner. That was where he stopped. 

“Erza…?” He lifted a brow when he saw the sword mage running directly toward him. His eyes shifted down, noticing something in her arms. A small blue...cat!? Happy!? Gray clenched his fist tightly and bolted toward the sword mage. “Erza!”

Finding Gray had been easier and faster than she had hoped. He must have noticed Happy in her arms because now he was running toward her as well. She could see the worried expression on the ice mage’s face as well. She didn’t have much information for him, but she would tell him what Happy had told her. She knew they had to make this quick too. The more time they wasted talking, the more time Natsu would be stuck with whoever took him away. 

Once they finally met in the middle, they both stood there for a moment, panting and trying to catch their breaths. When Gray finally saw Happy up close, he could tell the little cat was completely drained. He must have flown as fast as possible to get back to them. As soon as Gray caught his breath, he looked up, making direct eye contact with Erza.

“Tell me what happened… Where is Natsu.” He didn’t know how much information Erza had, but he knew she had something and he wasn’t about to let anything be missed. While he waited for Erza to answer him, he looked down at Happy once again. His heart hurt from seeing the small cat in such an exhausted state. The poor guy looked as if he were even struggling to keep his eyes open. 

“G-Gray…” It wasn’t Erza that spoke, but Happy. “N-Natsu, he-”

“Happy, please try to relax… I can tell him what you told me. You need to keep resting.” Erza spoke to the small cat softly before placing a hand over his exhausted looking eyes. 

“Erza…” Gray looked back at the sword mage, noticing that her expression had changed slightly. She looked at him with a serious expression on her face.

“Gray… Natsu’s been kidnapped…”

Those words made Gray’s heart stop. He should have known something like this would happen. He knew he should have chased after Natsu when he found out the other had taken off. Natsu hadn’t been in any condition to take off like that, and now someone had snatched him up just like that. The ice mage was practically shaking with anger. Someone had the balls to take Natsu like that, his Natsu.

“...Tell me everything, right now.”


	14. Fourteen

The three of them had made their way back to Gray’s home so they could talk without anyone eavesdropping on them. Erza wanted to keep this conversation between the three of them for now. Once Gray knew everything, they would decide if they should involve other people or not. It would also depend on if Happy could give them any extra information on the people who took Natsu away from them. Erza slowly sat herself down on Gray’s white colored couch. Happy was still resting in her arms. The poor cat had completely passed out on their way to Gray’s place. Erza carefully placed him on one of the blue colored throw pillows to allow him to be more comfortable before turning her attention to Gray. 

“Happy told me that the two of them were confronted as they were about to enter the forest. He said Natsu had been more exhausted than before and he even tried to get him to come home but...you know how stubborn Natsu is… Anyways the person who confronted them had Natsu’s full attention and Natsu went to attack him. The next thing Happy knew, Natsu was on the ground… He said once he gets his energy back, he can lead us there but he also said these guys plan on doing something to Natsu.” Erza explained everything slowly, hoping she didn’t miss anything. 

Silence filled the room and Erza could have sworn it got colder as well. Gray had both of his elbows resting on his knees, his hands were folded as well. His gaze looked colder than usual, and it looked as if he were trying to think everything over. Erza wanted to nudge him or something, but she feared he would act out so she simply waited. 

“Alright…” Gray finally spoke. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. First, he runs off on some long mission because he’s trying to avoid me. Second, you’ve known about his feelings since before he left and you only told me after I told you how I felt. And now, you’re sitting here telling me that he got his ass kidnapped by some random stranger and something might be done to him...and we’re literally just sitting here. Is that about right?” His tone was just as cold as his gaze. Erza felt bad for not making Natsu tell Gray from the beginning, but now their friend was in trouble and he needed help.

“Yes. That’s everything that has happened up to this point. Gray, we need to go after Natsu. Happy said he has no idea what they’re going to do to him but I know it can’t be good…” Erza reached over and carefully ran her hand across the sleeping cat’s head while she kept her gaze on the ground. “I’m going after him after Happy wakes up. You can either come with me or you can stay here. It’s your choice.”

“Of course I’m going with you! Why the hell wouldn’t I!? Once we find him and get him home, I’m giving that little punk a piece of my damn mind too!” Gray suddenly stood up and clenched his fist. “Happy should be waking up soon. As soon as he does, tell me so we can get a move on. We have to go get him as soon as possible.”

That was easier said than done. Natsu had been gone for about four months now, meaning he was probably pretty far away. If they moved quick enough, they could probably catch up in two months, but that was still a long time for Natsu to be in the grasp of these mysterious people. Erza soon nodded her head and stood up as well. She reached out and grasped onto Gray’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly. 

“We’ll move out as soon as we can. I want to get him back too, but it’s going to take us some time to reach where Happy last saw him. Remember this, Natsu is very strong. I’m sure he’ll manage to hold on and I’m sure he knows we’re going to be coming for him.” Erza spoke sternly and Gray nodded in agreement as his gaze drifted to the snoozing cat. He could only imagine how Happy was feeling right now. The poor little guy had been forced to flee and had to leave Natsu behind. Witnessing all of that probably hurt him pretty bad too, so now Gray had two people to do this for. 

“G-Gray...Erza…” Happy suddenly spoke. The little cat had woken up and it sounded like he was crying. Both mages hurried over to their fluffy friend and knelt down beside him. It was pretty obvious the poor cat was heartbroken.

“Happy...don’t push yourself too hard. You need to rest.” Erza spoke gently. Gray nodded in agreement and carefully pushed the small cat back down when he tried to get up.

“W-we have to go now… I can stay awake. Please we have to go get Natsu before they hurt him!” Happy flailed his tiny paws toward both of them and started sobbing more. “I couldn’t do anything… I couldn’t even get him to come back home! Please we have to go now!”

Gray and Erza exchanged glances, both unsure of what to do. There was no way Happy was really ready to travel, but Erza feared that Happy would try to do something irrational if they told him no. She worried that Happy would try to go back on his own, and only end up getting himself hurt, or worse. If anything were to happen to the little cat, Natsu would be devastated. 

“H-hey… Y-you haven’t answered me…” Happy sniffled a bit and wiped his eyes with the back of his paw. 

“Happy...are you absolutely positive you can stay awake?” Erza asked as she looked at the small creature with a serious expression. She knew he’d probably lie to her, but she didn’t want to see him cry anymore.

“Y-yes… I can stay awake. We have to hurry… I want Natsu back…” The blue cat slowly stood on his feet. His body was trembling slightly, but he was determined to get his best friend back before anything happened. As Erza looked toward Gray for confirmation, the ice mage nodded his head slightly.

“If he claims he can stay awake, then I think we should head out as soon as possible. Gather whatever you may need and meet me by the main gates within the hour. We’re going to bring him home.” Gray spoke in a serious tone and Erza nodded her head, showing she understood.

“Right. I’ll meet you there.” Erza replied as she leaned down to scoop Happy up in her arms. They would have one hell of a trip ahead of them, but for Natsu’s sake, it was worth it. She just hoped they would arrive before it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Sorry for leaving you on a cliff hanger last time! And honestly, it looks like I'm doing it again! ^^" Terribly sorry! Also, don't worry, I plan on getting back to Natsu soon! I'm sure you're all worried about him! Hopefully he'll be back home soon! Anyways, thank you so much for reading and thank you for all the supportive comments! I really appreciate them! I hope to update again soon! Thanks again for reading and I'll see you next time!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	15. Fifteen

Back in the hideout, Natsu was finally waking up after being knocked unconscious for an unknown period of time. As he slowly opened his eyes, he found himself looking at a dimly lit ceiling that looked as if it were made of stone or rocks. Was this a cave? That’s sure as hell what the floor felt like. He had no idea how long he had been out of it, but he knew something wasn’t right. He remembered coming face to face with some stranger who seemed to have an interest in him. In his exhausted state, he remembered stupidly charging at his foe, only to end up on the ground moments later.

“Where the hell am I…?” His voice sounded horrible. He had to have been out for a couple days or something. His body felt heavy, almost as if it had been drained of all of his magic and energy. When he tried to sit up, he instantly crashed back to the ground. Whatever he had been drugged with, it was definitely still in effect. He couldn’t believe he had been so careless. He never got caught, and now he was in some unknown location with hardly any energy. 

“Oh, you’re finally awake. The boss will be very pleased to hear that.” A voice suddenly spoke. Natsu’s head shot up a little too fast, causing the entire area to spin. He put his head back on the floor and groaned softly. As he brought a hand to his head, he heard the sound of chains rattling. Once again, his eyes snapped open, seeing a shackle on his wrist. That wasn’t good at all.

“Who the hell are you…?” Natsu asked groggily. He finally placed his hand down on his pounding head and once again shut his eyes. 

“Aw, did you try to move too fast? You’re still under that heavy drug I shot into your neck. You won’t be able to fully move for a few more days, but the precaution was quite necessary since you are a bit of a powerhouse, even when you’re exhausted.” The tone in this stranger’s voice sounded as if it were mocking him, and that was something that really irritated him. 

"Are you fucking mocking me, you little shit!?" Natsu growled as he tried to get himself up once again, but that drug this guy mentioned made it impossible for him to fully move. That made the unfamiliar sensation of fear. There were very few things that actually scared Natsu, Erza being one of them when she's angry, but this was a completely different situation. He couldn't move and he was well aware of it. He was actually helpless for once in his life, plus he was exhausted still. To his surprise, his body actually started to shake, and he couldn't stop it. 

"Oh look at this. The fearless dragon slayer is actually shaking in fear. The boss will be pleased to hear such a thing as well. Now I suppose you're wondering why we have brought you here. Well the answer to that is simple. We simply want-" The man was cut off by a small fireball coming directly at his face. If he hadn't moved in time, it would have hit him. Now that was a surprise. The man looked back at the caged male and lifted a brow. This boy was a powerhouse indeed. Maybe another dosage would be necessary. He shouldn't have been able to spit out any kind of flames. 

"I don't give a shit about why you brought me here! As soon as I can move, I'm going to burn your face off then I'm going after that boss of yours!" Shouting probably wasn't the best thing, but Natsu couldn't hold his voice back. That single fireball had taken whatever energy he had regained. However, he could still run his mouth, and he planned on doing so until he passed out. However, hearing the man chuckle made his blood boil even more. “The hell is so funny!?”

“The fact that you think you’ll honestly be able to take down my boss once you can move. You’ll be dead before you can even make your first move. How would that boy feel if he came and found you dead? Do you really want to die before you have the chance to finally tell him how you feel?” This man was definitely mocking him now...wait how did he know about that!? What had happened to him while he was unconscious!? Natsu felt his body tense up slightly.

“How do you know about that…?” The pink haired male lifted a brow slightly, unsure of if he actually wanted the answer or not. He was sure it wasn’t a pleasant answer. 

“Well I really shouldn’t answer that question without the boss’s permission but I’ll tell you anyways because you deserve some kind of answer.” The man paused and sat down on the ground in front of the bars that held Natsu. “You see, the boss has been watching you and that icy boy for some time now. He’s mostly been interested in you, but when he saw how close you were to that boy, he grew jealous. He was able to get inside your head and pull up the feelings you had buried down inside you. The feelings toward the ice boy. Those feelings suddenly emerging like that caused you to start having those little dreams, causing you confusion. Each dream became more graphic until you grew desperate enough to run away from your home to get away from those feelings. Don’t worry though, we took a look inside that boy’s head as well. I won’t tell you much more than that. The boss sent a phony mission to the guild and it surprisingly got your attention. It was the perfect strategy. It was easy to exhaust you by making you lose so much sleep, and now we have you. The boss wants to make you his own. You’re going to be the perfect experiment as well…” The man finally stopped talking and rose to his feet. Natsu watched with wide eyes as the man pulled something from his pocket.

“W-what are you talking about? He’s the reason I have those feelings for him!? Are they even real!?” Natsu was beyond confused now. Were his feelings real or were they just an effect from this mysterious man’s magic. “Please! Do I actually love Gray or not!? I left to clear my head so I could figure these feelings out and now I’m more confused than ever!” The fire mage was growing more desperate. He needed these answers. His mind needed to be put at ease.

“I guess we’ll have that test when the time comes. For now...you need to go back to sleep.” The man gave one last smile before he opened his hand and blew clear dust in Natsu’s face. The pink haired male coughed harshly as the dust entered his body. It burned, it hurt, and it caused his mind to go cloudy. He had so many questions with so many dead end answers. Within moments Natsu’s consciousness faded, leaving him blacked out on the ground once again. 

“They should arrive within the next few days. We should get this experiment started, wouldn’t you agree boss?” The man slowly glanced over his shoulder, seeing his leader standing there with a grin on his face. He nodded his head and approached the bars to get a much better view of Natsu’s sleeping form.

“This is going to be a rather dangerous experiment…” The red head opened the door to the cell and walked over so that he was now standing over Natsu, a syringe was in his hand now. It was filled with a light blue liquid. Slowly, he knelt himself down and rolled up Natsu’s shirt. The sight was enough to nearly make him drool. He couldn’t wait to test out this serum. Without waiting any longer, he injected the liquid into Natsu’s lower stomach before rolling his shirt black down. “Once he’s awake, bring him to me.” 

“Yes sir.” The other male bowed his head slightly and watched as the red head left the room. “Oh you poor brat. That’s going to have a massive effect on your body…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Sooooooo it took me FOREVER to update this story because I got lost in so many fandoms but I finally finished chapter fifteen! I'm so sorry you guys had to wait so long! It looks like things are starting to get a little more intense for Natsu! Now he's got to figure out if those feelings are real or not! He's so confused! Gray hurry and get him home!! DX Anyways, thank you so much for your patience on this story! If you guys want to stay updated, follow me on WattPad! @aMaskedNinja ! I usually post daily announcements on there! Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading and I'll try to update again as soon as possible! I'll see you guys next time! 
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))

**Author's Note:**

> ((Hi everyone. This is my very first time writing any of the Fairy Tail Characters! I'm sorry if they're somewhat out of character. I'm not too confident in my ability to portray them but I really wanted to write this fanfic! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter and I'll do my best to update it again as soon as possible! See you in the next update!
> 
> ~~aMaskedNinja))


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